Name and Location

Farol da Ponta Garça is an active coastal lighthouse located on the southern shore of São Miguel Island in the Azores, Portugal. Its official name is Farol da Ponta Garça, and its address is Canada do Cinzeiro 13, 9680-457 Ponta Garça, Vila Franca do Campo, São Miguel, Açores, Portugal. The coordinates are 37°42′52″ N, 25°22′12″ W.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was constructed in the mid-20th century and commissioned around 1957. Its purpose is to supplement the older Ponta do Arnel and Ponta da Ferraria lights, improving safety on this stretch of coast.

Architecture and Materials

The architectural style of Farol da Ponta Garça is a functional mid-century lighthouse design characteristic of Portuguese “Direcção-de-Faróis” structures of the 1950s. The construction materials used are reinforced concrete tower attached to a single-storey concrete keeper’s house. The tower shape and finish are short cylindrical with a narrow balcony and metal railing, painted white. The tower height is 14 meters above its concrete base.

Light and Navigation

The focal height of the lighthouse is not officially published, but it likely falls in the range of 40-50 meters above sea level due to the coastal cliff elevation. The light characteristic is a flashing white light, although this has not been officially confirmed. The nominal range of the lighthouse is commonly cited as 12 nautical miles, which is typical for similar-sized Azorean lights.

Accessibility and Visiting

The grounds surrounding the lighthouse are accessible by local road, but the tower itself is fenced and not open to interior visits. Visitors can reach the site by car via the VE6-1 road reaching Canada do Cinzeiro, with limited roadside parking adjacent to the keeper’s house. Informal coastal paths offer walking trails east and west along the cliff, suitable for sea-bird watching and wildflower viewing.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse is situated on a promontory overlooking the Bay of Vila Franca do Campo and, on clear days, the islands of Santa Maria and São Jorge are visible on the horizon. The surrounding landscape features pasture lands and small orchards, with low volcanic cliffs to the north and south.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local folklore tells of 19th-century fishermen’s huts that once stood near the present site, but no structures pre-date the 1950s lighthouse. No major shipwrecks are recorded in its direct vicinity since the light was commissioned.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated and electrified, with no resident keepers since late in the 20th century. There are no public records of additional radio/AIS/radar installations on-site.

Further Information

For further reading, please consult Wikidata: Q10280164 or the Portuguese Navy “Lista de Faróis” (official aid-to-navigation catalog). The Azores tourism board also offers lighthouse itineraries in both Portuguese and English.